Simple Chicken Parmesan
Ever need a quick meal for dinner and want to feel like you went to an expensive Italian restaurant? This is the dish for you! Pretty inexpensive and one of my family's favorites too!
Simple Chicken Parmesan
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless (~ 4 ounces each)
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup seasoned bread crumbs
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Couple grinds fresh ground pepper
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup favorite pasta sauce
Italian seasoning for garnish
Favorite pasta!
Equipment:
13 x 9 baking pan
Small salad bowl for oil
Shallow 6 inch bowl for crumbs
Pastry brush
Soup spoon
Bent edged spatula
Why go out to eat and spend $15 a plate, when you can make this recipe at home for about $10 for the whole family! Also, uses only uses ten ingredients and most of them are staples in my pantry! Assembly requires breading chicken, adding sauce and cheese, baking and … Voila dinner is served!
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Start by prepping your pan by generously drizzling olive oil on the bottom. Then pour ¼ oil into a small salad bowl for brushing on chicken. Combine seasoned bread crumbs, garlic powder and seasonings into a wide brimmed shallow bowl. (Really any small bowl that fits the chicken breast will do!) Combine dry ingredients together and you're ready to rock ‘n roll!
Set up an assembly line with chicken, crumbs and pan in a line. Brush chicken breasts lightly with olive oil on both sides. Dredge chicken in seasoned crumbs on both sides, pressing crumbs into surface. Gently shake off excess. Place coated chicken breasts on greased pan. Continue process with remaining chicken. If desired, sprinkle leftover crumbs on top of chicken for added flavor and crunch.
Using the flavored pasta sauce you prefer, spoon about 3 – 4 tablespoons on top of each breast to thoroughly coat, as shown above. I usually choose a meatless sauce, such as a roasted garlic or basil flavored sauce. Use the back of the spoon to spread sauce.
Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in shallow bowl. Using your fingers, sprinkle cheeses on top of chicken, dividing evenly between four breasts. Garnish cheese with a little more Italian seasoning to add a bit of color on the white cheese.
Bake chicken on center rack of a preheated 350 F oven for 45 - 50 minutes. Cheese should be golden brown and chicken juices bubbly. (Chicken can be tested for doneness and register 165 F.) while chicken is baking, boil water and cook your favorite pasta. Serve pasta with extra sauce leftover from chicken preparation. Make a tossed salad and enjoy your easy-peasy dinner!